Arts & Entertainment What I've Been Watching Too! Kevin Lalonde, OP Arts & Entertainment Editor American Hardcore, dir. Paul Rachman ”What, Lalondo reviews another hot-shot indie documentary? How shocking!” Yeah, imagine that. In the interest of full disclosure, however, I should mention that I’m not a punk guy. I don’t like hardcore concerts, I don’t enjoy angry 48-second, percussion- heavy punk songs, and no, I don’t know how Henry Rollins ruined Black Flag. Dude, I don’t even like Black Flag. But hell if I couldn’t just sit and listen to Rollins talk for hours about the tours, the brawls, the cops, and the attitude of the American hardcore punk scene from 1981 to 1986. American Hardcore documents that hardcore punk movement through a broad selection of live footage of dozens of bands from the era in which it was the most virulent (’81 to ’86), and splices it together with interviews from just as many musicians. As director Paul Rachman traces the movement’s development and expansion, from L.A., Vancouver, and San Francisco, to Boston, New York and of course Washington, DC, leading figures in the genre’s heyday look back, often with elation, sometimes with scorn, but always with an enthusiasm that seemed burned into their psyches at their days of touring in a bus across the country with no money and little food, but great excitement. Minor Threat’s Ian MacKaye, Vancouver’s own Joe Keithley, Bad Brains’ Paul HR Hudson, Flea, and of course Henry Rollins are all interviewed at great length, giving the viewer a truly complete idea of what the hardcore landscape of 25 years ago really looked like, and provide a psychological roadmap that hints at the attitudes so present from the beginning of the movement’s inception to its imminent demise around 1986. My colleague Chelsea Mushaluk, however, is very quick to point out that such a doc couldn’t possibly be very complete, as there’s absolutely nothing about the Dead Kennedys in the film whatsoever. But whatever, what does she know. teatied RARBEORE THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN PUNK ROCK 1980 - 1986 Stranger Than Fiction Five reasons why you should run out and rent this film right now: 1) Will Farrell stars in a dramatic role that is, yeah, pretty damn funny, but is also sad and believable and really unfair. Furthermore, he’s really good, even when he’s not trying to be funny. Which he invariably is, because he’s Will Farrell. 2) Maggie Gyllenhaal is really, really cute. None of that raggedy Sherrybaby type stuff here. 3) Dude, Will Farrell is being narrated by a voice only he can hear? Hello, are you kidding me? What a geeky, stoner, Queen Emma Maggie agi Bae Latifah Thompson Will Ferrell Gyllenhaal Ho Fiction 4aroks Crick November , ! English lit-head plot device! 4) Most of Fiction’s music is done by the indie rock band Spoon, who are famous for catchy piano and percussion and extremely snappy lyrics. In fact, some of the film’s tracks are pulled from their last release, entitled Gimme Fiction. Coincidence? I think maybe. 5) The film co-stars Dustin Hoffman as a life-guarding English professor. He’s short, he’s geeky, he too is just so cute! I want one! I want a Dustin Hoffman! Film Review: The Messengers Chelsea Mushaluk, OP Contributor L, there’s anything that we have learned about teenagers through movies, it’s that they are invariably a) moody, b) troubled, and c) will always explore the pit of mud in the basement that spawns the undead at night. This formula is followed pretty closely in The Messengers, the latest thriller from Hong Kong director-brothers Oxide and Danny Pang. Most of their other films weren’t released internationally, though Danny did edit /nfernal Affairs and its two sequels (Infernal Affairs was remade last year as The Departed, a film that may have picked up a few awards at last week’s Oscars), and perhaps he should stick to editing. There’s nothing unwatchable about The Messengers, really, but the predictability and terrible script made it hard to take the movie as a serious thriller. Let’s go back to the moody teenager, Jess (Kristen Stewart). First, it was her fault that the family moved to the haunted house in the first place. After all, the best way to escape family trouble is to move to the country and become a sunflower farmer. Second, only she and her little brother can see the creatures that live in the house. This is a problem because back in Chicago, she drove her brother home one day, drunk, and “got into a wreck.” He hasn’t spoken since, 14 and when things start to go bump in the night, guess who nobody believes as a result of her vaguely troubled past? That’s right, Jess. But wait! Things start to look up! A farmhand appears out of nowhere to help Jess’ father, Roy (Dylan McDermott), with the harvest. And he’s a sunflower farmer too! What a coincidence. Burwell, the farmhand, played by John Corbett, is wooden at best and terribly cheesy at worst. It’s fairly clear that a lot of the problems with this movie are in the script, and Burwell was the most obvious casualty. Jess’ mother spends much of the movie telling her how disappointed she is, and Jess’ boyfriend Bobby has a bit part which ends in him being punched in the head. But you’ll have to go see the film to find out what happens in between. With an unimpressive and laughable conclusion, the movie doesn’t have a whole lot of redeeming qualities. The 15-year-old girls in front of me were petrified, so hopefully that’s the demographic that the Pang brothers were going for. And I still don’t know what the message was. Don’t hire strangers? Don’t drive drunk? If there’s a mud pit in your basement with the undead swimming around, move out immediately? There’s a multitude of ridiculous conclusions and strangely, each one matches the ridiculousness of this film. Utara Raat (onecm Com tciede that children are highly susceptible to paranormal phenomena They They And th fart em annot t adults deny.